The first principle for pursuing the prize is that we must

Transcription

1 Philippians 3:12-15 Introduction New years can bring with them excitement over the potential the year holds for our good, or disappointment over the past year that we have wasted, and even a fear that we will waste this year like last year. I personally experience the whole gamete of afore mentioned emotions. I am excited looking forward because I have hopes of making better use of my time this year than I did last year, but there is the disappointment from past failures and fear of repeating the pattern of the current status. Tonight if you find yourself identifying with those emotions of excitement, disappointment, and fear or if you find yourself satisfied with your present condition we can all acknowledge that we want to succeed. We want to succeed in our spiritual endeavors, succeed with our finances, succeed as a family, succeed in raising our children, and succeed as a Church. The apostle Paul writing about his own condition provides us with at some principles for pursuing the prize! The first principle for pursuing the prize is that we must

2 I. Acknowledge Our Position Throughout these verses Paul is using the language of an athletic competition. Paul used athletic analogies on several occasions to describe the Christian life. He uses fighting or boxing in 1 st Corinthians 9:26. He referred to himself as having fought a good fight. Another analogy that Paul used was a race. 1 st Corinthians 9:26 also refers to running a race and at the end of Paul s life he said that he had finished his course. In these verses he is using the analogy of a race. In order for us to pursue the prize we must first assess where we are on the track. We must realize that we are in a race. Paul acknowledges his position in VV 12-13, Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. In a race effort must be exerted. Energy must be spent. This is not simply a proverbial race. In the race that is the Christian life no one makes it to the finish line that doesn t run! The analogy is not just an illustration for a sermon. It serves us well to realize that we have not yet won the prize. The Apostle who was blinded by the light of the glory of God that radiates from the risen Christ, Paul who wrote thirteen books of the New Testament, Paul who was beaten, shipwrecked, and suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, Paul who was willing to be cut off from Christ for the

3 salvation of his brothers, Paul who impacted multitudes in his lifetime and will continue impacting souls until Christ returns says brothers, I do not consider myself to have arrived. I do not think that I have got where I need to be. I am not complete. If that was true of the Apostle Paul, how true is that of us today? We must realize that we are in a race and like Paul must admit that we are not what we ought to be! We all stand in need of improvement. The first principle for pursuing the prize is that you must recognize you wont win it on your own and that outside of the sovereign and gracious will of Christ you will never make it to he finish line! The second principle for pursuing the prize is that we must have II. Amnesia about the Past Paul moves from acknowledging that he is in a race and the fact isn t at the finish line to informing us how we are to run this race. Paul writes, I count not myself to have apprehended (obtained the prize) but this one thing I do. Notice what the man who did so much for the cause of Christ just said. He said I do one thing. He tells us the one thing he does in two ways, one negative and one positive. But they are one thing. D.L. Moody said, It is better to say this one thing I do than these

4 forty things I dabble with. John MacArthur said, Many people dabble in much, but succeed at nothing. How does Paul run his race? What is his secret and how can it help us? V.13 forgetting those things which are behind. Runners that look backwards don t make it to the finish line because they run out of their lane and are disqualified. Commentaries suggest that Greek runners normally ran in a straight line and back. Paul was able to get so much done because he purposefully forgot about what he had done. Had Paul contemplated his past he could have easily become satisfied, but instead of contemplating it he simply forgot about it. He disregarded it. We don t disregard our spiritual accomplishments; we hang them on our mantles. If we are going to be great and do great things for the cause of Christ we must forget about our past failures as well as our past accomplishments. If you constantly remind yourself of how you failed yesterday you will likely fail today, and if you think about the success you had yesterday you wont have one to think about tomorrow. Runners must be lite and if you don t forget your past it will weigh you down to the point that you wont be able to finish your race. Today many of you need to put this into practice. Others of us are too busy looking at the obstacles that others have knocked

5 down to realize we are making a nice pile ourselves. There is absolutely nothing you can do to change the past, but if you let it your past will ruin your future. What do I need to do about my past? FORGET IT! The third principle for pursuing the prize is that we must be III. Aiming toward the Prize In V.12 Paul says that he is following after. In V.13 he says that he is reaching forth unto those things which are before. V.14 he says he is pressing toward the mark. Paul, like a runner, leaning forward, his eyes fixed on the finish line, and exerting every ounce of strength that his muscles can provide to win the prize! He isn t looking at his past. He isn t looking around at others who are running. He is looking where he wants to go! What is motivating this? What is this prize? Back in V.12 Paul says, If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Paul s pursuit of the prize was fueled by a passion for the purpose God saved him. Paul said I want to lay hold on what God laid hold on me for. Why did God save him? In Romans 8:29 Paul writes For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. In V.8-10 Paul writes that he

6 is striving to win Christ, to be found in him and his righteousness, and to know him in the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and to be made conformable to his death. As the Psalmist proclaimed in Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. Paul is running with everything he has aiming for the prize. The only way we will reach the finish line is this kind of motivation. Life is too hard, sins allurement is too strong, and our flesh is too weak to persevere for any other reason. But through the power of the Spirit we are provided strength when we are weak to press on because we desire to know HIM, to be found in HIM, and to be made like HIM! That s why Paul ran. That s why he gave his all for Christ, and that is why we should as well. Conclusion Maybe you aren t in the race, tonight if you will repent of your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus you can be saved and start your race. However if you are in the race, have you grown complacent? Have you become more occupied with past victories or burdened with past failures? Are you reaching forth and pressing toward the mark of the prize? Are you focused on this one thing or dabbling in many? Tonight if you find yourself in need of prayer now is the time to respond to the word of God.